The Black Kiss Of Death, page 14
part #1 of Montega Chronicles Series
“And in walks your father. He went to Miami looking for a connect and became the west coast distributor for Verningo Castro. That was the type of luck your father had. But your father wasn’t stupid. He had a plan. Castro made him stay a week while they ran a back round check on him. During that time him and your mother fell in love and she became pregnant with her first child.”
“Hold up, you’re talking about me?”
They both shook their heads yes.
“Verningo lost everything when you were born.” Red continued. “He became the laughing stock of the drug world. He’s still powerful but nowhere near what he could’ve been. You father took that all from him, a small time stick up kid brought that sonofabitch to his knees.”
Gang-war shouted has he waved his fist, “Score one for the little guys. See, that’s why we loved your father. He was one of us from the bottom that made it big and didn’t forget where he came from. Do you know your father stormed Castro’s compound to rescue your mother?”
“He did?” Diamond couldn’t help but tear up.
“I was there, it was straight out of a movie screen and I swear to you in the mist of it all, I look up to see Charles and Pearl kissing, oblivious to the bullets whizzing by their heads.”
“So why does Verningo want me dead?” Diamond asked. “Obviously I didn’t have anything to do with anything?”
“As long as you’re alive Verningo Castor will never be King of the Hefes. The deal still stands with Diego. If Verningo kills you and still has a baby with your mom then he gets what he wants. So you can imagine he is going to stop at nothing to kill you.”
Diamond took a moment and let all sink in. It was all making since to her. Bonnie training her. Her father letting her sit in on meetings. Every unanswered question she had became crystal clear. Although Verningo kidnapped her mother, she knew now he wouldn’t hurt her.
Diamond checked her watch again, “Look, I gotta go. There’s something I have to take care of while I’m in New York. But, we’ll finish this conversation next time,” she said, getting up.
“Oh, before you go. There’s one more thing you should know. It probably doesn’t mean nothing, but there’s a possibility that Clyde may have a sibling out there somewhere,” Gangwar said.
Diamond stopped in her tracks when she heard that, but then just nodded her head and headed for the door, bewildered. However, she had no time to ponder all this; there were other things on her mind, far more important.
Chapter 34
A LIFE 4 A LIFE
On an early morning in Jamaica, Queens, Tanetche Agugbo lounged in his living room, discussing business with his brother, Simon and Hillary. All three were vicious killers, and for a whole year, there had been war between the Ape Gang and the Black Kiss of Death. No one knew where she came from, but with all the mayhem she had spread throughout the area, it was obvious that the war wouldn’t end anytime soon.
As the three sat on a wrap-around white sofa, Tanetche slammed his fist into his palm. “Look, we gotta do something about this problem we’re having over in LA. This Kiss of Death bitch has threatened our whole operation. Her army is systematically wiping out our brothers.”
Hillary agreed. “Let us also not forget just last year, she almost put a bullet in your head, right before she put down six enforcers, single-handedly. Can you get any information about her identity?”
“We still don’t have any address, but I have my sources working day and night on this,” Simon explained. “Hilary’s right, who is this bitch to declare war on us? We need to stop sitting on our asses and find her before she brings the beef to our doorstep. If our people see that we’re not handling business, they’ll start to doubt us. We need to start making examples of people -- and fast.”
Tanetche’s wife, Shelly, walked into the living room with her purse, ready to go. “Are you ready?” Shelly asked irritably, with her arms folded.
“Go ahead to the car. I’ll be right behind you,” Tanetche said as his phone rang. Shelly sneered at him as he listened to the voice at the other end. After he hung up, Shelly rolled her eyes and stormed off.
Tanetche looked at his brother. “We lost ten soldiers and a lieutenant at our warehouse, here in New York. That bitch is too close for comfort.”
“Wait a minute. If she hit the warehouse in New York, you don’t think anybody opened their mouth to her…” Simon said looking at his brother Tanetche nervously.
Tanetche raised an eyebrow at the hint, then thought about his wife, who had walked down the hall. “Baby! No!” he shouted while running out of the living room and down the hall to stop her before she walked out the door.
He was too late. Shelly had already left the building. As soon as she pulled on the car door handle, a huge explosion erupted.
KA-BOOM!
The bomb blew the two glass double doors off their hinges and sent Tanetche flying onto the marble floor. Glass and debris rained onto him like an evening shower. When he finally staggered to his feet, the limousine out front had been obliterated and his wife was no more.
“You bitch, I’m gonna kill you!” he bellowed.
Back in California, Diamond’s fury ignited throughout the state. Butch’s army of wolves were ruthless; they showed no mercy to the enemy. From firebombing to deadly drive-bys, they muscled out the competition until Diamond slowly gained control. Her main target was the Ape Gang.
Each week, Diamond pointed to a new spot on the map that she wanted. Butch and his boys then swooped in like birds of prey. And, just as she promised in the beginning, as she rose to power, so did they all. Within a year, she was copping more bricks of coke than any client Semok ever had, a thousand key’s a month. And, while the Black Kiss of Death was making big noise, the Great White Organization was building a new empire throughout the United States. Clyde wanted it all. With Deshawn and the Wolfpack on the other side of the Underworld, money came in like never before.
They had heroin coming in from Afghanistan. Cocaine and ecstasy from Nicaragua. Marijuana from Jamaica and meth, straight from the labs in LA. Sure, the money was good, but Clyde’s biggest worry was the Russian mafia. They were cold-blooded and would always be a threat because they had succeeded in killing the Great White’s biggest boss: Charles White.
As Clyde and all the heads of the Great White Organization sat at the table in his father’s old situation room, he brought up a subject that was starting to become a concern. “What’s up with this crazy chick that’s warring with the Ape Gang? Who the fuck is this bitch?”
Chavo shook his head with no knowledge. “No one knows who she is. All we know is that she’s called the Kiss of Death.”
“Kiss of Death?” Shug repeated.
“Yeah, dudes say she blows a kiss before she drops your ass,” Chavo added.
Shug found that amusing. “Man, that’s some ole movie type shit. Where y’all hear this crazy shit?”
“It’s true, Shug,” Chavo emphasized. “She almost took out Tanetche at the club last year. But that’s not the big worry. I’m hearing that she’s taking over operations all over California and moving her boys in. When people start hearin’ shit like this, they get scared, and join up with her to avoid getting squashed.”
“You mean, they’re down with that crazy bitch?” Shug asked.
“Hell, yeah. Especially when they hear all the stories of big players getting whacked.”
“And, she’s out there, icin’ dudes herself?” Shug asked.
Chavo leaned forward. “She don’t just sit around, givin’ orders. She likes to get her hands dirty.”
A cloud of fear was displayed on all their faces. It was no question that something had to be done. And fast.
Chapter 35
THE BLACK CLOUD
Kia and her girlfriend, Breezy, sat in a local bar on Germantown Avenue, enjoying some down time, before they went to the afterhours. While sipping on Grey Goose and pineapple juice, listening to songs they had picked out on a jukebox, Kia spotted a familiar face entering the bar. “Ain’t that Kev from south Philly?” she asked, tugging on Breezy’s sleeve.
When Breezy looked up, she spotted a tall, handsome, dark-skinned man with a thick beard and wavy hair stepping inside, accompanied by two of his boys. As soon as Kev noticed them, he put on his mack face and approached.
Breezy pretended to look away, but it didn’t matter. Kev had been wanting to holla at her for the longest, but had never gotten the chance. Kia and Breezy were perhaps unaware that they were considered the baddest bitches uptown. If you didn’t know them, you weren’t a major nigga.
Kev pulled up a stool beside Breezy just as the bartender appeared. “Can I get you anything, Sweety?” the woman asked pleasantly.
“Yeah, get me whatever they drinkin’. And get them another round,” Kev replied before turning his attention to Breezy. “Yo, what’s good, pretty thing? It’s about time we ran into each other. You a hard person to find.”
Breezy batted her eyes. “You say that like you were anticipating this moment,” she replied modestly.
“To be honest, I was,” Kev admitted.
“And why is that?” Breezy asked, swiveling her stool around to look at him while crossing her legs, which certainly got Kev’s full attention.
Kev glanced down at her succulent thighs framed by a mini-skirt. “Because I wanna take you out, that’s why.”
“Where you taking me?” Breezy asked, baffled.
“Just put your number in my phone. I can’t tell you, I’d rather surprise you,” he replied, handing Breezy the phone just as a group of guys walked in.
When Kev looked up and saw Gangwar, accompanied by a few of his shooters, his eyes ballooned. Once Breezy put her number in his phone, he stored it, then dialed Mike’s number. “Excuse me one second,” he said, stepping away.
Kia elbowed her girlfriend, then cocked her head towards the group sitting across from them. Breezy raised her eyebrows when she saw Gangwar and his goons. “Oh, shit,” she gasped.
“Oh, shit, is right. I think something’s about to go down. We better roll out before we caught in the middle of it,” Kia suggested.
Breezy took another look at the men and nodded. “You know what, Kia? I think you’re right.”
Once Mike got off the cell phone, he shook his head in disappointment. Lying on his bare chest was his Spanish girlfriend, Jennifer, whom he had just made love to for the third time that night.
“Who was that, baby?” she asked innocently while tracing her hand across his stomach.
“That was my man. I gotta make a run,” Mike replied.
“No, don’t leave me. I need to feel you next to me tonight, daddy. Can’t it wait?” she whined before sitting up to stare into his eyes.
Mike stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. The truth was he really didn’t want to get out of bed. Instead, a better idea came to mind: he needed a guy with heart. Picking up his phone again, he dialed Montega’s number.
After the second ring, he answered. “Yo,” Montega said impassively.
“Yo, you wanna make two ounces?” Mike asked, seeing if he would bite.
“What chu need me to do?” Montega asked.
Mike explained the situation with Gangwar and where he could find him. “So, what’s it gonna be?” Mike questioned.
“Just watch the news and have them ounces ready. I ain’t tryna be waitin’ all day for you to bring 'em, either,” Montega said before hanging up the phone. He dashed to the drawer to grab his Phantom mask and his Mac-11.
“Where you going, nigga?” Razor asked while puffing on a Dutch of weed, lying on the couch.
“Yo, you wanna make an ounce?” Montega asked.
“Hell, yeah, what sup?” Razor responded, sitting up.
“Look, don’t ask no questions. All I know is we goin’ out to hurt somebody. Now grab your burner and ride with me,” Montega instructed before making his way to the back yard to get his Banshee.
Razor threw on a black scully hat and wrapped a black bandana around his face while Montega slipped the Phantom mask over his face. Kicking on the twin 360 engine, the two bright fog lights beamed to life as Razor got on back. Once the clutch was pulled and he got it in first gear, the Banshee roared out of the alley like a bat out of hell.
As Kia and Breezy stepped out of the bar and strutted towards the car in the parking lot, the sound of the Banshee’s roaring engine caught their attention. When the two villains on the four-wheeler rode up, Kia stayed cool and just stared. Breezy quickly got into the passenger’s side, hoping that she and her girlfriend weren’t spotted by the masked men with guns.
As Montega got off the four-wheeler, he clutched the Mac that was strapped around his neck with a shoe string. Razor had a small Tech 9 with a 50-shot ladder. “Look, bol, I’m a go in here and soak this nigga. You play the side, just in case dudes start drawing,” Montega said before turning to enter the building.
Razor’s heart was thumping. He had never shot anyone, let alone killed someone. But, Montega was his brother from another, and there was no way he would let him ride by himself. As soon as Montega entered the bar, his eyes scanned the room. The music was blasting and everyone was drinking, dancing, or chatting. No one even noticed him. He figured that this was the same way his mother and her friend were before they were killed. Kev, over in the corner, watched as the two masked men entered. He slipped into the bathroom before any shots were fired.
As soon as Montega spotted Gangwar with his men, he aimed his machine gun and fired. Loud shots rang out in the bar, causing everyone to dive to the floor or sprint for the exit. Gangwar spun around to face the shooters. Several bullets ripped into his abdomen, then his face. He slumped on the counter top. His bodyguards flung themselves on the floor, pulling out automatic weapons.
“C’mon, man, we out,” Razor advised, grabbing Montega by the arm as bystanders made a run for the door.
Montega snatched away from his homie and shot back at the men, wounding them in the process. When he was out of bullets, he and Razor crouched low as bullets whizzed around the bar. Kia watched in horror as people spilled out the door in panic.
Just when she thought it was over, the two gun men emerged. They jumped on the Banshee and sped off. After the four-wheeler whipped around the corner, Kia started her engine and drove off.
Kev came out of the bathroom. The music was still blasting, but the place was almost empty. As he walked by several wounded men, he spotted Gangwar, on the floor by the counter. There was no life behind those eyes. His face and stomach were smothered in blood. Whoever had come, got the job done fast and got out.
He then got on the phone and called Mike. “Yo,” Mike answered, anxious to know what happened.
“One down, one more to go,” Kev said as he walked away from the bar room massacre.
“It shouldn’t be long now. There’s a black cloud in our city. Make sure that the last gets caught in the storm,” Mike said before hanging up.
Chapter 36
A PRIZE WINNER
Clyde threw a big party for his cousin Justin. Rodeo Drive was filled with expensive cars, and high society from all over California came to celebrate: a couple of basketball players from the LA Lakers, NFL players and entertainers of all sorts, including the new middleweight champion, Stephon “Babyface” Butler.
The huge ballroom jumped when The Game took the mic to sing his latest song. Clyde and Justin sat with their circle in the VIP, enjoying the company of some of the finest women in the city. Diamond and her people also made an appearance. When Clyde saw his sister, accompanied by his cousin Butch, and all his homies, he stared in confusion. He saw Butch as a grimy nigga who only had time for his family if money was involved. Clyde made a mental note to see what was going on behind his back.
Diamond strutted over to her booth, dressed in a tight, low-cut Chanel dress with a belt wrapped around her 24-inch waist to match her five-inch Anaconda platform pumps that cost a small fortune. Heads swiveled to gaze at her perfect, round ass. Men drooled at the vision inside that tight, white dress.
Stephon might have been the one most stimulated by her magnetism. Diamond dazzled him, from head to toe. Once she and the boys were seated, a waiter immediately brought their most expensive bottle of champagne. “The gentlemen over there sent this,” he said, pointing to the dark-skinned man standing beside his seven-foot tall bodyguard.
Stephon raised his glass, and Diamond smiled and mouthed, “Thank you” to him. She bought five more bottles of the same champagne and had one sent to his table, along with her phone number. Diamond admired the man’s smooth, dark complexion and his burly 5’10” body. He had a baby face and a sparkling smile. He sported a low fade and a dapper-looking Canalli suit.
She had no clue who he was, but she would soon find out. Stephon pulled out his cell phone and dialed her number. Diamond watched him intently until her cell phone buzzed in her pocketbook. Trying not to smile, she said seductively, “Hello?”
“I see that you’re the type of lady who doesn’t like to be outdone,” he said,
“I’m an Aries. What do you expect?” she replied gazing at him from across the room.
“How about we take this conversation out to the balcony where it’s a little more private,” Stephon proposed.
“Sounds good to me,” she replied and hung up.
Stephon grabbed a bottle and two glasses, then headed towards the balcony. His bodyguard followed. “Bain, stay by the door for me while I talk to this pretty lady. Make sure nobody comes out to disturb us,” Stephon commanded.
The seven-foot bodyguard nodded his head and held the door. Stephon leaned on the balcony that overlooked a beautiful shot of Wilshire Blvd. as Diamond joined him.
